BIODIVERSI TAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 22, Number 1, January 2021 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 362-372 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d220144 Utilization of plant resources among the Kankanaeys in Kibungan, Benguet Province, Philippines ABIGAIL T. BERSAMIN1, JUDE L. TAYABEN2, KRYSSA D. BALANGCOD3, ASHLYN KIM D. BALANGCOD3, AMELIA C. CENDANA3, ELIZABETH T. DOM-OGEN2, LANCE OLIVER C. LICNACHAN3, BRENILYN SIADTO4, FREDA M. WONG5,6, TEODORA D. BALANGCOD3,♥ 1Pines City Colleges. Magsaysay Avenue, 2600 Baguio City, Philippines 2Benguet State University. Km. 6, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines 3University of the Philippines Baguio. Governor Pack Road, 2600 Baguio City, Philippines. ♥email: [email protected] 4Local Government Unit of Kibungan. Kibungan, Benguet Province, Philippines 5Saint Louis University. Bonifacio St., 2600 Baguio City, Philippines 6Philippine Science High School, Cordillera Administrative Region Campus. Irisan, 2600 Baguio City, Philippines Manuscript received: 25 September 2020. Revision accepted: 26 December 2020. Abstract. Bersamin AT, Tayaben JL, Balangcod KD, Balangcod AKD, Cendana AC, Dom-Ogen ET, Licnachan LOC, Siadto B, Wong FM, Balangcod TD. 2021. Utilization of plant resources among the Kankanaeys in Kibungan, Benguet Province, Philippines. Biodiversitas 4: 362-372. The use of plant resources for human basic need dates back to ancient times. Plants have been man’s recourse for natural healing, food, and for cultural practices. This study aimed to document the rich flora of Kibungan, Benguet, Philippines that the Kankanaey tribe utilizes. Interviews and focused group discussions were used to gather data and it was supplemented with ocular inspection of the locality. Results revealed that there were various uses of plants that could be categorized into medicinal, food, house construction, and others. The leaves of medicinal plants are more frequently used to treat wounds, diarrhea, cough, and skin inflammation. Decoctions for natural remedies include gipas (Sarcandra glabra), gawed (Piper betle), and kutsay (Allium odorum). Plant foods such as fruits, root crops, and vegetables are either cultivated or gathered from the forest. Specifically, plants collected from the wild included pinit (Rubus fraxinifolius), amti (Solanum nigrum), bayabas (Psidium guajava), gatgattang (Sonchus arvensis), galyang (Alocasia macrorrhizos), and pako (Diplazium esculentum), while kamote (Ipomea batatas) and corn (Zea mays) are cultivated. The pine tree (Pinus kesiya) is the main raw material for house construction. Interestingly, dengaw (Acorus calamus) is regarded as an amulet, which is believed to ward off evil spirits. Keywords: Kankanaey, Kibungan, medicinal plants, plant resources, utilization, wild plants INTRODUCTION provides information that can lead to the discovery of potential and perhaps more efficient plant-based drugs The use of plant resources for human basic can be (Rahmatullah et al. 2011). Other than plants being used as traced back to ancient times. Plants have been a man's medicine, plant resources have provided the basic needs of recourse for natural healing, food, construction, and local communities. Additionally, plants are tapped as raw cultural practices. Notably, wild sources of medicinal materials for construction, food, clothing, kitchen plants were used by man for centuries in traditional healing paraphernalia, and other uses. The accessibility of the systems (Ullah et al. 2013) Through the years, this natural resources by local communities has allowed them to indigenous system of folk medicine is passed down from develop innovative uses. However, it has been observed the older to the younger generations (Ugulu et al. 2009; that the traditional knowledge is rapidly eroding due to a Ahmad et al. 2014). Additionally, in local societies, number of factors such as migration of indigenous people traditional healers are recognized and are often part of the from rural to urban areas, industrialization, rapid loss of cultural and traditional practices. They also have significant natural habitats, and changes in lifestyle. To prevent the influence on local health practices (WHO 1978; loss of ethnobotanical knowledge, it is important to Cheikhyoussef et al. 2011). To date, the use of traditional document this before it is irretrievably gone medicine led to the increase of ethnobotanical and (Teklehaymanot and Giday 2007). Moreover, ethnopharmacological studies (Verpoorte 2005; Heinrich ethnobotanical studies play an important role to humanity 2008). Presently, ethnomedicinal studies are essential for as it can be a source of information for the development of the discovery of new herbal remedies from indigenous and drugs that provide treatment to emerging diseases endemic plant species (Mahmood et al. 2012, 2013; (Abdallah 2016; Millat 2017; Salvaña and Arnibal 2019; Tantengco 2018). Syahdar et al. 2019). Ethnobotanical studies can also With the increasing emergence of diseases, the preserve the indigenous plant-based knowledge of the local documentation of the traditional medicinal plants for communities, and ultimately conserve global heritage (Pei treatment of various ailments is significant because it 2001; Teklehaymanot and Giday 2007; Fongod et al. 2014; BERSAMIN et al. – Utilization of plant sources in Kibungan, Philippines 363 Yaseen 2015). knowledge of the Kankanaey in Kibungan, Benguet The Cordillera region is located in Northern Luzon, Province, and Northern Philippines before this knowledge Philippines, and is the largest of three mountain ranges. It is lost. This study employed ethnobotanical surveys and is endowed with a diversity of flora and fauna with a semi- focused group discussions specifically among the temperate climate, matched with a rich mix of cultures. The Kankanaeys in Kibungan, Benguet in gathering the different cultural groups in the Cordillera are knotted with important data. Conversely, even with a diversity of the surrounding environment henceforth have developed cultures with a rich diversity of traditional knowledge on indigenous knowledge on plant use. They have used plants plant uses in the Cordillera, only a few studies on this for the treatment of various ailments, yet most of these indigenous knowledge have been published. Thus, this have not yet been scientifically or clinically proven for research's result is an important contribution to the growing their efficacy. Drug discovery is currently a top priority in knowledge or information about plant utilization in the the region due to emerging diseases and the development Cordillera and in the country. of resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics (Tacconelli et al., 2017). Emerging diseases continue to increase, while MATERIALS AND METHODS commercial drugs are becoming expensive which is no longer within the affordability of marginal communities. The study area Additionally, the decline of food sources is an increasing Benguet is one of the six provinces in the Cordillera problem as an effect of population growth and climate Administrative Region, Northern Luzon, Philippines change. These problems can contribute to poverty. In the (Figure 1). It is nestled within towering mountain ranges past decades, published research on the medicinal with a semi-temperate climate. It is the home of the properties and nutritional value of indigenous wild plants in centuries-old mummies, a place of steep and high the region is limited (Balangcod and Balangcod 2011; mountains and different kinds of forests. The natural Barcelo-Chua 2014). Thus, the discovery of new drugs and resources, including flora and fauna, are diverse in the promotion of the use of neglected and underutilized region. Additionally, there is also the presence of cultural indigenous plants are being encouraged. diversity of several tribes, most have spent their entire life In recent years, the Philippine government has in the forests. Thus, these people have developed their recognized the importance of ethnobotanical knowledge ingenuities in harnessing the plant resources around them. and drug discovery such that government agencies are now Therefore, indigenous knowledge on plant utilization in the supportive in funding interested groups, mostly researchers region is inherent in the local communities (Balangcod and from the academe. Therefore, this study aims to document Balangcod 2011). the various useful plants and the accompanying indigenous Figure 1. The location of the study area in Kibungan, Benguet Province, Philippines. Map of the Municipality of Kibungan, Benguet, Philippines was retrieved from https://benguet.gov.ph/v3/ 364 BIODIVERSITAS 22 (1): 362-372, January 2021 fourth-class municipality, with geographical coordinates of 16° 41' 49" North and 120° 39' 34" East. The area is mountainous but rich in forest resources (Figures 2 to 4). It has eight barangays (Figure 1) and a population of approximately 17,292 (Philippine Statistics Agency, Population of Benguet 2015). Ninety percent of the population are Kankanaeys, the remaining 10% are a mix of other tribes and have stayed in the area as a result of intermarriage. The Kankanaeys of Kibungan are hardworking people, with agriculture as their major source of livelihood. They belong to a bigger tribe called the Igorots which means mountain people. The term Igorot generally refers to all the local communities living in the Cordillera region. Figure 2. The villages in Kibungan, Philippines are situated Description of the participants within the forests hence the forest is the major source of their basic needs